Rhonda Petit is a Sales and Business Peak Performance Coach and the Founder and CEO of 3x5 Coaching, where she works with both corporations and individuals to grow, unleash, and activate more of their true potential and power. Prior to launching her coaching business, Rhonda worked in sales for 35 years with clients at Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies. Her book, The Spirit of Selling: Using Universal Laws for Sales Success, contains actionable insight into the universal laws that govern successful selling.

Can you tell our readers about your background? 

I earned a Chemistry/BusinessAdmin dual major bachelor’s degree in college.  I have 37 years B2B experience in sales and 25 years in sales management. I also earned my coaching certification in 2017 and started my business full time in 2019. Today I am a Sales Leader/Trainer, Coach, Author & Public Speaker.

What inspired you to start your business?

I’m a change agent. I was drawn into the life science and medical device industry because I wanted to make a positive difference in the human condition. I started my business because I observed corporate culture changing from a place of inclusion where employees’ talents were regarded as assets, to a place where employees were being treated like disposable commodities. 

I wanted to help improve that human condition, bringing people’s spirits and souls back to work and to help people realize and remember that work was made for them to share their gifts and talents.  They were not made for work – they are made for MORE!

I was also personally tired of being trapped in a job where I was not growing, or being appreciated or valued. I was working for employers who were more concerned about stockholder approval or disapproval than they were about the people inside their organization and the culture they were creating. It’s not surprising that two years later we experienced the Great Resignation of 2021. 

Where is your business based? 

My business is based in Philadelphia.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

I enrolled in Bob Proctor’s Matrix event. The Matrix is a service the Proctor Gallagher Institute offers for new entrepreneurs. It is a resourceful environment and people attend from all over the world to collaborate, mastermind, and explore opportunities for financial independence through multiple sources of income.  Afterwards I became a consultant to facilitate their mindset mastery course, Thinking Into Results.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business? 

I’ve had success raising awareness through regular scheduled events, referrals, my new book, The Spirit of Selling, and networking on LinkedIn.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them? 

In the beginning it was gaining clarity on who I was, and who I wanted to become. I had to learn to make space for the miracles and how to update my self-image to match my new desires.  I overcame those obstacles by meditating, consistently studying myself, changing my mindset, working with multiple coaches and mentors and strengthening my sage powers.

How do you stay focused?

I write out my goal card daily, visualize it, then feel it and act as if it is done. I control my thoughts and my attitude deliberately knowing if I do, I get to live life on my terms and stay true to my purpose or my dharma.  I know that if I do not take control, someone or something else will. I want to stay in control of my destiny and I’m committed to the daily focus that requires.  

How do you differentiate your business from the competition? 

In my business, I’ve made the deliberate choice to create, not compete. I have a very specific niche area of expertise. I work with sales executives in the B2B world in the life science & medical device market segment. My book, coaching & training are based on the spiritual laws and principles of selling, not mechanics.

There are many sales/self help books & training that teach you "how" to do something. This is not the same old "how to sell/do more, better etc." The Spirit of Selling will teach you the "why" behind it all. Once you understand the "what to do” and “why you do it" and put it into practice, the "how" will come to you naturally. 

I work with champions, leaders, who know school is never out. I hold my clients accountable to take massive action that produces results. When clients work with me, they are empowered with spirit and a strong mind for a strong life

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?  

Utilizing the Story Brand marketing approach for my website, my nurturing emails and outreach has proven very effective.  People engage in stories they see themselves in.  And stories provide clarity instead of confusion.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Ask yourself why you are in business. It’s so important to know your why and let that passion drive you!  Put fuel on that fire every day. Be willing to take risks. Remember you are never a failure unless you quit and that failure is a natural part of course correction. Your greatest asset is your mind. Use your thinker and trust it – it will show you the way. 

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

When it comes to educational resources include Business made Simple University by Donald Miller. For the specialized knowledge directly related to my sales training services, my favorite is Siebold Success Systems, Author/Speaker Academy. This resource provides me specialized knowledge for the mediums of writing, speaking, and training services. It  is relevant, current, and can be garnered via a subscription service in bite size daily chunks and referenced as needed. As for social media creation its CANVA - extremely easy to use and produces professional content.

Who is your business role model?

Sara Blakely

Why?

Sara is fearless yet vulnerable. She knew her purpose and her story and she refused to be a cast member in someone else’s movie. She takes risks and is not afraid of failure because she knows every failure is a lesson or a course correction that she will leverage to keep moving forward. She also cares deeply about the people in her organization. She is a giver, she listens and operates from her heart.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book?

My favorite app is Insight timer. It taught me to meditate, and the mood monitor always seems to guide me to the right meditation for each day.

It’s hard to name just one favorite book. There are many! In fact on my website I have a whole list of recommended reads.  I would say my top three are PychoCybernetics by Maxwell Maltz, The Power of Awareness by Neville Goddard  and You Too Can Be Prosperous by Robert Russell.

Why?

PychoCybernetics goes deep into the metaphysics and importance of your self-image. Understanding that content gives you great appreciation and excitement for the potential that lies within every human being and how to harness it.

The Power of Awareness is all about the game of awareness. It helps you discover who you really are. It’s a great book to study YOU, understand YOU,  and to understand your customers.

You Too Can be Prosperous because it debunks all the myths and misconceptions people have about money and prosperity.

How do you balance work and life?  

I time block my priorities into my daily schedule. First gratitude, meditation exercise, study time, visualization, mirror work & affirmation, then time with my husband, family, friends, and finally, giving back to the community. Then I schedule time blocks for my work projects using a 90 day plan each quarter. I play to my strengths and hire and delegate my weaknesses.   

What’s your favorite way to decompress? 

I love to garden! I am an avid perennial flower gardener. I love playing in the dirt, making space for new life and seeing all the colors of the rainbow in my flower beds. It reminds me that everything has a gestation period and that I have a partner in all this. It’s necessary to allow nature to do her part in the creation process.

What do you have planned for the next six months?  

Right now I’m deep into promoting my new book, The Spirit of Selling. The book centers around the universal, timeless laws that govern successful selling. The message is so near and dear to my heart that I have to share it with as many people as possible. My hope is that future generations of sales professionals can embrace the true spirit of selling and be recognized and respected for providing the ultimate customer buying experience. 

How can our readers connect with you?  

They can visit my website, www.3x5coaching.com to learn more about my coaching and training services ,and to subscribe to the Transformation Times newsletter. To learn more about my book, visit www.thespiritofselling.com